With Pedro Severino out of minor league options, the Washington Nationals had to pass him through waivers once they decided he wasn’t going to make their roster this spring. The Orioles claimed him, and a little more than a month into the season, both they and Severino are better for it.

A start such as the one right-hander Dylan Bundy delivered in the Orioles’ 3-0 victory over the Rays was a long time coming. The 26-year-old right-hander hadn’t completed seven innings since July 29 of last season

Rio Ruiz faced a four-man outfield in the Orioles' previous series against the Tampa Bay Rays, and with the Rays visiting Camden Yards for a series this weekend, it’s possible he’ll see it again. Ruiz emphasized the key to succeeding against such a shift is to avoid changing his approach.

Friday, the Orioles began a nine-game homestand with a 3-10 record in Baltimore. Both manager Brandon Hyde and outfielder Trey Mancini pointed to this season’s slow start at Camden Yards as a case of a small sample size.

The Orioles entered this weekend’s series with the Minnesota Twins with the worst staff ERA in baseball. The team’s young pitching staff is required to put together competitive outings while learning how to, and how not to, pitch in the major leagues throughout them.

With right-hander Alex Cobb coming off the injured list to start the Orioles’ series opener with the Minnesota Twins on Friday, left-hander John Means’ stay in the rotation has temporarily ended, but he remains an option to receive starts down the line.

The Rays pounded Orioles right-hander Davis Hess in their 8-1 victory Wednesday, striking for six runs in his two-plus innings. Hess faced 13 batters, with 11 putting the ball in play at more than 97 mph.

After getting scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with an illness, first baseman Chris Davis was not among the starting nine that Orioles manager Brandon Hyde put together for Wednesday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.